MUSE, the school’s annual art show and fine arts festival, has a new theme this year of “Sailing the Seas with Muse.”
Students are hard at work to prepare for the event on April 11, with people from all sections of the fine arts helping.
“[Students can get involved through] the Green Room, Art Club, Tri-M, Pirate Choir, and really any of the after school activities that we have offered at the school,” said art teacher Kelly Bott.
For example, Art Club students are working on their skills on the pottery wheel, preparing their artwork for the art show, finishing up murals, and developing face painting techniques.
“Students [in Art Club] are practicing their fine art skills, such as throwing [on the wheel] so they can assist kids, looking to get some new images for face painting ideas, and always seeking out new ideas for activities,” Bott said.
Other clubs and activities prepare in different ways. For example, drummers from the school’s band have to prepare for bucket drums.
“I have to make a playlist of songs that will fit with the theme that kids can drum to with a bucket drum,” said senior Gabriel Cope.
MUSE provides a community that is connected to the arts and allows everybody here in Grayslake to express their creativity and have fun. Many students and staff feel that MUSE is very important to the fine arts at school here.
“I think the cultures of schools tends to be standardized testing and very STEM oriented. As we’re finding with AI advancements, the things that were once thought to be the future might be AI. We’re seeing more focus on the soft skills and the creativity and things that are more difficult to automate are going to be bigger. I think there is going to be more room for the fine arts and more importance in the future for employment and for everyday life,” said art teacher Randy Sweitzer.
Students are really excited for the big day in April and are hoping to see many people, whether they go to school here or not.